Male Infertility Treatment
Male-to-birth assignees frequently struggle with infertility (AMAB). Conception is a complicated process that involves several obstacles. Thankfully, there are several treatments available to improve your chances of becoming a father with your spouse if you are a man facing infertility.
Learn about the common causes of male infertility and the available treatment options.
What is Male Infertility?
Both men and women may have infertility. Male infertility specifically describes a disorder that affects the capacity of individuals assigned male at birth (AMAB) to conceive a child assigned female at birth (AFAB) due to a malfunction in their reproductive system.
What Does Male Infertility Mean?
If your AFAB partner hasn’t become pregnant after more than a year of unprotected sex, you may be dealing with male infertility.
How Prevalent is Male Infertility?
186 million people worldwide suffer from infertility, with male factors accounting for over half of these cases. Research indicates that between 10% and 15% of American men who are trying to conceive are affected by male infertility.
Is Conceiving Easy?
Being conceived is not easy. It is believed that human reproductive efficiency is low. Only 20–25% of young, fertile couples who engage in unprotected sexual activity each month will become pregnant. The production of healthy sperm and a viable egg are just two of the numerous components that both the male and female reproductive systems must work together for conception to occur.
- Open fallopian tubes that allow sperm to get to the egg.
- The capacity of the sperm to fertilize the egg.
- The ability of the fertilized egg, or embryo, to implant in the uterus.
For a pregnancy to reach its full length, which is between 39 and 40 weeks and 6 days, the female’s hormone environment and the health of the embryo must coexist. Any disruption in any of these elements can lead to infertility.
Symptoms and Causes
What are the Signs of Unhealthy Sperm?
Being unable to father a biological child is the main sign of male infertility. Infertility in men can also result in psychological and emotional problems, like:
- Depression
- Depressive feelings
- Grief
- Insufficiency
- Not succeeding
It is recommended that you or your partner see a therapist or psychiatrist if you feel like this. Low testosterone production from the testicles can occasionally be connected to male infertility, resulting in symptoms including apathy, sadness, exhaustion, and impotence. If these symptoms are present, it may be helpful to see a reproductive endocrinologist or urologist who specializes in male infertility.
What Causes Male Infertility?
Many biological and environmental causes can lead to male infertility, such as:
- Sperm problems, such as aberrant sperm, low sperm count (oligospermia), or no sperm in semen (azoospermia).
- Genetic disorders such as myotonic dystrophy and Klinefelter syndrome.
- Medical illnesses such as cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases that target sperm.
- Infections, including gonorrhoea, HIV, and orchitis; also, sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
- Varicoceles, or enlarged testicular veins.
- Cancer therapies, such as radiation, chemotherapy, and orchiectomy (removal of the testicles).
- Damage to the testes.
- Hormonal conditions impacting the pituitary or hypothalamus.
Who is Affected by Male Infertility?
Infertility can affect anyone assigned male at birth. But some things can make it more likely, such as:
- having a body mass index (BMI) over 25 (being overweight or obese).
- Over 40 years of age.
- Radiation exposure.
- Being exposed to pollutants found in the environment, such as pesticides, lead, calcium, or mercury.
- Making use of alcohol, marijuana, or tobacco.
- Taking particular drugs, such as bicalutamide, spironolactone, and flutamide.
- Regular exposure to heat sources like saunas and hot tubs increases testicular temperature.
Additionally, using a wheelchair raises the warmth of the testicles. A past with testicles that have not descended.
A background of varicoceles.
- Treating low testosterone with testosterone.
- Using hormone-containing supplements or anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) to gain more muscle growth.
Diagnosis and Tests
How is Male Infertility Diagnosed?
Male infertility can be diagnosed by a primary care physician (PCP), who may also recommend that you see a urologist or reproductive endocrinologist. To evaluate your general health and find any physical problems that may be influencing your fertility, the PCP will do a thorough physical examination.
They might also ask you about your sexual preferences and medical history, including:
- The length of your infertility attempts.
- Pregnancies in the past with partners.
- STI history and treatment protocols.
- Utilizing birth control.
- Male infertility running in the family.
- Drinking, smoking, or using drugs recreationally.
- Present-day prescription drugs.
Additional testing might be recommended if the physical examination and evaluation of medical history fail to identify a clear reason for male infertility.
What Tests Are Used to Diagnose Male Infertility?
One of the main tests for male infertility is a semen analysis, which looks at the quantity and quality of sperm. Additional testing options include:
- Imaging tests, such as MRIs and ultrasounds;
- Invasive procedures, like venograms.
- Blood tests to detect chromosomal or genetic abnormalities and assess hormone levels.
- Urinalysis for diabetes and STI diagnosis.
- Testicular biopsy to evaluate testicular sperm production.
Management and Treatment
Can Male Infertility Be Treated?
Yes, there are several treatment options available for infertility in men. Treatments might vary depending on the cause and could involve:
- Modifications in Lifestyle Keeping a healthy weight is one way to increase the generation of healthy sperm.
- Consuming more veggies and fruits.
- Taking part in regular physical activities like weightlifting, cycling, jogging, dancing, or walking.
- Handling pressure.
- Giving up alcohol, cigarettes, and non-prescription drug use for pleasure.
- Steer clear of sexual lubricants when having sex.
Medications
Hormone treatment can control hormone levels that affect sperm quality. It might be required to switch to different medications or stop taking some of them, like calcium channel blockers, anti-androgens, and tricyclic antidepressants.
Surgery
Surgical interventions consist of Reversing a vasectomy allowing sperm to once more enter semen by reattaching the vas deferens.
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
In ART methods, sperm and an egg from each partner’s ovaries are combined in a laboratory. Among the techniques are:
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), involves injecting a single sperm cell into an egg directly.
In vitro fertilization (IVF): In a lab, eggs are gathered and exposed to sperm after fertility drugs are used to accelerate egg maturation. After fertilization, an embryo (egg) is placed within the uterus.
Treatment is usually necessary for male infertility to increase the likelihood of pregnancy.
At Venus IVF, we offer expert fertility treatments for men and women, helping you achieve your dream family.
Contact Info
- +977 976-1682874
- +977 976-1682874
- [email protected]
- Venus Hospital, Second floor- IVF department Mid baneshwor Kathmandu, Nepal
- 12-5 PM : Sunday to Friday (except Saturday)